U.S. to increase support for security cooperation with the Baltic States

During the adoption of the legislative act on the country’s defence expenditures in 2024, the U.S. Senate permitted the allocation of USD 228 million or approximately EUR 208 million to strengthen security cooperation with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

“During my visit to Washington in July I received words of support from representatives of the U.S. Senate and Congress about Latvia’s contribution to its own and Baltic region’s security in diverting 2.25% of GDP towards defence this year. We highly value the decision of the U.S. Senate to approve the allocation of additional funding towards cooperation with Baltic States in the defence sector in 2024. The planned funding will allow us to develop Baltic states’ military capabilities more quickly and further enhance the security of NATO’s eastern border,” said Latvian Minister of Defence Ināra Mūrniece

The U.S. Senate welcomed Baltic States’s contribution as NATO member states and as the leading countries in the international coalition supporting Ukraine in response to Russia’s war against this country.

U.S. is Latvia’s long-standing strategic partner and ally. It plays an important role in enhancing Latvia’s security. The cooperation between both countries is based on shared values and security interests. Latvia cooperates with U.S. in NATO and other multi-sided and bilateral formats the objective of which is to enhance security. 

As reported earlier, at the end of 2022 the U.S. Congress approved the allocation of USD 225 million of funding to all three Baltic States as part of the Baltic Security Initiative for the 2023 Fiscal year. This funding is to be allocated towards military needs.

On the 29th of June 2022 President Biden made an announcement about the U.S. expanding military presence in Europe, Baltic States included. In December 2022 the U.S. approved plans for military presence for the next three years. These plans provide for uninterrupted presence of U.S. military forces and expanded participation in military exercises.
 

Contact information
Roberts Skraučs
Head of the Media Relations Section
Military Public Affairs Department
Tel.: 67335393
E-mail: roberts.skraucs@mod.gov.lv